The original Salt Palace, completed in 1969, became the beloved home of several professional sports teams. However, in 1994, the arena was demolished to make way for a 616,000-square-foot convention center. The Salt Palace now features expansive exhibit areas up to 270 feet wide—an impressive 180 feet of this width is column-free.

One of the most striking architectural features is the creative use of hollow structural steel in exposed applications. The dramatic curved steel "banana" trusses and the curved bracing at the central entry tower, mimicking seagulls in flight, are iconic features of the facility. Exhibit hall floors were designed to support loads up to 350 pounds per square foot, allowing full-sized semi trucks to access exhibit hall spaces.

‍